Its official - Middle age has arrived

[Ray Singh]

Middle age has arrived at the Singh's household. I am now 41 year old and I am feeling heavy and unfit.
I try to run at least once a week - between 5 and 10kms and do 50 press-ups a day plus one minute of standard plank.

I want to be leaner, fitter and more toned.

Could anyone on here help to design me a simple workout to perform on a daily basis? Nothing too hideous that will mean that I have to leave my full time job to undertake, but enough to allow me to have the odd beer but still look and feel young.

I find that it is easier to follow a plan, rather than just make my own plan up.

I have been thinking of buying Huel food to help with eating the right things, but cant help seeing this as a glorified Complan.....

Any help appreciated.

[WinstonWolf]

Ray Singh said:

Middle age has arrived at the Singh's household. I am now 41 year old and I am feeling heavy and unfit.
I try to run at least once a week - between 5 and 10kms and do 50 press-ups a day plus one minute of standard plank.

I want to be leaner, fitter and more toned.

Could anyone on here help to design me a simple workout to perform on a daily basis? Nothing too hideous that will mean that I have to leave my full time job to undertake, but enough to allow me to have the odd beer but still look and feel young.

I find that it is easier to follow a plan, rather than just make my own plan up.

I have been thinking of buying Huel food to help with eating the right things, but cant help seeing this as a glorified Complan.....

Any help appreciated.

Get MyFitnessPal, log EVERYTHING and you'll see where you're going wrong. It takes a week or two to get all the stuff you normally eat in then it only takes about thirty seconds a day to input.

I swapped muesli, yoghurt and orange juice for porridge in the morning and I saved about 400 cals a day or nearly 1lb per week.

I average it out over a full week, I can have five pints on the weekend I just cut back a little on weekdays.

[4159265]

Would agree re: MFP.

The below is gradual but fits my profile, I can also pretty much eat what I want because it's changed habit rather than a few one-offs. I stopped logging food and only start again if the weight / cut starts trending the wrong way.

Edited by 4159265 on Thursday 7th September 12:34

[J4CKO]

Go and lift some weights ?

5 * 5 Stronglifts, though I seem to be actually getting heavier now

Join a gym, Book a few PT sessions ?

[272BHP]

41? bah, you are still in the final flush of youth. The physical effects of middle age should not really hit anyone till the late 40s.

Your body should still be in a state where it will respond if you give it the right stimulus. Better start now though, you have about 7 years till the real slide begins - then you can experience the bitter-sweet joys of managed decline.

[dandarez]

Christ, wtf is up with everyone?

Age? It's all in the mind, just don't look in the mirror.

These guys have the right attitude to life!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b092l5gd

[PositronicRay]

A medicine cabinet packed with this kind of stuff was my "realisation" moment.

[marcosgt]

dandarez said:

Christ, wtf is up with everyone?

Age? It's all in the mind, just don't look in the mirror.

These guys have the right attitude to life!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b092l5gd

Have to agree.

I regularly dive with a bloke in his 70s - We went to Indonesia last year, did 3 or 4 dives every day, he didn't miss one!

I dived in Guernsey a few years back with an Italian in his 80s (I think, certainly well into his 70s), who rolled up with his dive gear on the back of a Vespa!

Looking around (hell, even at myself) it's easy to think at 40-ish, that you're too busy and too old to make an effort, but you'll probably thank yourself later if you do!

I'm not super toned (I've never liked running distance and just do some cardio and leg-strengthening exercises at the gym after breaking my knee some years back), but at 55, I look at a lot of blokes in their 30s and think they need to exercise more!

Just go for an hour's walk after dinner each day (or even two or three nights a week!)

M

[RTB]

marcosgt said:

but at 55, I look at a lot of blokes in their 30s and think they need to exercise more!

M

I'm nearly 40 and have returned to training (strength and light cardio) a couple of years ago and what drove me wasn't my own condition (which wasn't too bad) but seeing other dads who were 5-6 years older than me and had bigger tits than their wives.... I saw my future in those moobs and decided to do something now rather than wait,

As they say, if you can't find time for exercise now, you'll need to find time for ill-health later on.

[Hoofy]

Heavy weights and some cardio is the way forward. Or 3 hour cycles every other day but I don't have time for that st and don't want the physique of a famine victim.

[Kawasicki]

Hoofy said:

Heavy weights and some cardio is the way forward. Or 3 hour cycles every other day but I don't have time for that st and don't want the physique of a famine victim.

I chose the cycling option, with a significantly reduced calorie intake, I went for the physique of a famine victim...in 6 weeks I went from unfit 72 kg to fairly fit 62 kg. It wasn't pretty, but it was massively effective.

[Hoofy]

Kawasicki said:

I chose the cycling option, with a significantly reduced calorie intake, I went for the physique of a famine victim...in 6 weeks I went from unfit 72 kg to fairly fit 62 kg. It wasn't pretty, but it was massively effective.

It is a great way of burning calories if weight is the only thing that matters. Doing masses of cardio, mainly HIIT, I went from 72kg to 62kg but thought I looked awful so focused on weights and went back to 72kg.

[RacerMDR]

great thread chaps - I tend to get to 88/90 kilos, st the bed and go mental with running and press-ups until I'm sub 80 kilos and then start again..........

the only way is to significantly reduce booze and do enough exercise that qualifies you to burn more than you consume - whatever that is for you.

[mcelliott]

You can be muscular and CV fit - I'm over 80kg at 5ft 7 and my mileage this year on the bike is 10,500km. The most powerful muscle sits between your ears, I guess some people just can't nail themselves.

[Kawasicki]

mcelliott said:

You can be muscular and CV fit - I'm over 80kg at 5ft 7 and my mileage this year on the bike is 10,500km. The most powerful muscle sits between your ears, I guess some people just can't nail themselves.

I'll have about the same mileage as you, but besides a few press/sit/chin ups I do no weight training. I'm a fairly skinny build anyway, but I do intend to put on some muscle/gain some power this winter...

[jogger1976]

I'm in the same position as the OP. Just turned 41 and have never felt weaker, more unfit and lacking in motivation.
I don't actually look fat, but I'm probably "skinny fat" in that I'm slim build with a small spare tire. This goes away if I abstain from alcohol and eat healthily to the point Is can see definition with minimal cardio.

My main issue is motivation and a general dislike of excercise.
I've never been an athletic person, although I did manage to run road/cross country for 7 years, although I had to give up due to a recurring injury.

I've tried HIT but hated it and ended up getting injured.

I was considering Stronglifts but I just think I'll look like a fish out of water amongst all the power lifter/bodybuilding types and I'm worried about injury.

Any advice or should I just give up?

[fridaypassion]

I'm making a bit of an effort at the moment having nudged 15 stone at 6ft. I got down to 13st about 5 years ago just by doing 3 simple things:

Walked the dog 2 x 2mile walks a day
Cut out booze just had one cheat day a week
Sorted the diet

Never did any actual out of breath excessive.

This time around I'm struggling as the dog died. I really like beer and I work too hard. I detest proper excersise but this time trying to get a bit of cycling done and have just invested in a treadmill in preparation for winter.

[Hoofy]

mcelliott said:

You can be muscular and CV fit - I'm over 80kg at 5ft 7 and my mileage this year on the bike is 10,500km. The most powerful muscle sits between your ears, I guess some people just can't nail themselves.

What does the last bit mean?

Anyway, I can't be bothered to cycle for 3 hours on a Saturday afternoon. And you still need to spend time lifting as well! Far easier to maintain a decent shape with weights and some short cardio. I guess if you like cycling fair enough but I've never enjoyed endurance sports as I find them boring.

[popeyewhite]

swerni said:

You're not middle aged, your just chubby and unfit.
Not the same thing

Ask a medical professional, middle age starts in the mid-30s.

[limpsfield]

fridaypassion said:

This time around I'm struggling as the dog died.

Must be hard, dragging on that two mile walk.

Sorry!